Electric train-signal



G. J. BARRY. ELEcmc TRAIN SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2. 1919.

, Patented Nov. 15, 1921..

GARR/ETT J'. BARRY, 0F SANDUSKY, OHO.

:ELECTRIC TRAIN-SIGNAL.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I GARRETT J. BARRY, a citizen of the United tates, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Train-Signals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

rlhis invention relates generally to improvements in the means or systems for automatically controlling the movement of trains, for the purpose of preventing'collisions.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a signal system with means whereby,y should a train reach a predetermined point with respect to a visible signal set at Caution or Stop, the engineer and lireman will be automatically advised as to such signal and the brakes will be gradually and gently applied, it being undesirable that the train should be stopped by the brakes unless the engineer and fireman are unable to apply the same by means of the engineers valve, in the usual and preferred manner. A further object of the invention is to provide simple and ellicient means'for accomplishing the foregoing results, easily operable and capable of withstanding all ordinary incidents of use.

ln the drawings forming'part hereof, Figure l represents a side elevation of a portion of a track, showing a locomotive thereon equipped with a portion of the signaling and brake-setting apparatus, together with track signals in varying positions, said track signals being turned at right angles with respect to their usual operative positions for purposes of illustration; Fig. 2 a detail in section and elevation of the portion of the brake applying and signaling mechanism within the locomotive cab; Fig. 3 a detail in end elevation showing a track signal in caution position and the connections whereby the brake applying and signaling apparatus in the cab may be rendered operative; Fig. il a detail in plan showing the track trip and the manner of mounting the same; Fig. 5 an enlarged sectional detail cor- Specioaton of Letters Patent. Patented NWV, 15, 1921 1919. Serial No. 303,681.

responding to the line 55 of Fig. 4; and

mechanism carried hy the locomotive outside the cab and corresponding substantially to the line 6 6 of Fig..3. i

Describing by reference characters the various parts illustrated herein, l denotes generally a track having hlock signals the posts whereof are indicated at 2, 2a and 2b, the signals being of the semaphore type, the arm 3 on the signal post 2 being shown as set at Cautionfj the arm 3a on the signal post 2L being shown as set at Stop and the arm 3b on the signal post 2b being shown as set at Clean be provided with the usual lights l for use at night, said lights being electric lights the circuits of which are automatically closed according as the signal arm is in one of the positions shown in Fig. l.

Preferably mounted adjacent to each of the signal posts is a track trip. As shown herein, this trip comprises a plunger 45 mounted within a casing 6 on rollers 7 interposed between the bottom of the casing and the bottom of the plunger. The top of the casing is preferably co-extensive in length with the plunger, but the Vsides and front end 8 project beyond such top, the front end of the casing being of less height than the rear portion thereof, thus leaving a depressed space between the top of the front plate 8 and the cover section 6. To prevent access of dirt, moisture, etc., to this Vspace, there is attached to the front end of the plunger a plate 9 which, when the plunger is in its rearward or retracted position, provides a cover with the plate 8,the plate 9 being secured to the plunger as by means of a right angle flange l0.

The rear end of the casing is provided with an opening through which a rod 1l extends, said rod being pivotally connected to the rear end of the plunger 5. rllhe opposite end of said rod is connected to one arm l2 of an angle lever, the said lever being pivoted to the post 2, as indicated at 12a. A rigid link 13 is connected at its lower-end to the other arm 14E of said angle lever and Fach signal arm will at its upper end to a short projection 3d of the arm 3 located beyond the point at which the said arm is pivoted to its post or standard 2. The angle lever 12, 14 will be so arranged and connected that, when the arm 3 is in the clear position shown at 3b, the plunger will be in its rearwardmost position, shown in Fig. 5. As the arm 3 is swung down to the caution7 position, the plunger will be moved to the position shown inFig. 3, projecting beyond the top of the casing 6. Further downward movement of the arm 3 to stop position, will move the plunger still farther in its forward or operating position.

- Cooperating with the mechanism heretoforel described is the brake-applying and signaling mechanism on the locomotive. This mechanism comprisesgenerally a compressed air cylinder connected with the airbrake system, a gong, and connections on the locomotive, operative by the trip plunger 5, for sounding said gong and releasing the pressure in said cylinder (and hence in the air line) for gradually and gently applying the brakes, with a connection whereby the air thus released may be directed against the face yor `h andsof the `engineer or fireman, thereby to awaken him should he be asleep. The cylinder is indicated generally at 16, and is connected by a pipe 17 with the train air line wherein the engineers valve is located. Projecting through the cylindrical wall of the receptacle 16 is a casing 18 having a closed bottom 19 within said cylinder, a port 20 in one side thereof within the cylinder and a port 21 located outside of the cylinder. Mounted within the casing 18 is a plunger valve 22 having a passageway 23 extending longitudinally thereof adapted to communicate by ports 24 and 25 with the ports 20 and 21, respectively, when the plunger valve shall have been moved inwardly within its casingy against the resistance oi a helical spring 26 interposed between the inner end of the plunger and the bottom or inner end 19 of the casing. The plunger 22 is provided with a notch 27 adapted to register with an opening in the casing 18 through which there projects a latch finger 28 carried by one end of a lever 29 pivoted intermediate of its ends to the casing, the'opposite end of said lever being pressed outwardly by means of a spring 30 bearing against the casing and preferably provided with a button Y31 for unlocking the latch linger. In Fig. 2 the plunger is shown as locked in its operative or brake-applying position.

Mounted adjacent to the plunger 22 is a gong 32. Coperating with said gong is a hammer 33 carried by one arm of a lever, shown as pivoted at 34, the arm carrying the hammer being also provided witha projection 35 adapted in operation to engage the outer'end of the plunger 22 and move the same inwardly until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon it is automatically locked in place by the latch mechanism comprising the parts 28-31. The upper armof the lever and the center support of the gong are` connected by a spring 32a which tends to urge the arm and hammer toward the gong and position the hammer 33 behind the gong when in normal position. The opposite arm of the gong lever has connectedl thereto a link 36, the opposite end of the link heilig connected to one arm 37 of a bell crank or angle lever, mounted upon the locomotive and preferably adjacent the front end thereof, the other arm 38 of said lever being connected by a flexible connection or chain 39 and a link 39a. pivoted to a wheel 40 having a counterweight 41. This wheel' is provided with an axle 42 projecting into and mounted in slots 43 within a casing 44 supported by the locomotive, the axle being yieldingly pressed toward the bottom of said slots by means of a spring 45 engaging the axle and an abutment 46, which may be secured within the casing.

The plunger 5 and its casing may be mounted upon a plate 47 secured to cross ties 48. Y

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, the operation will be as follows: Assuming that a signal arm 3 is set at the caution position, the plunger 5 will be moved automatically thereby so as to project into the path of the wheel 40. This will rock the wheel thereby pulling downwardly upon the chain 39 and link 39a and forwardly upon the lower end of the gong lever. This movement of the gong lever Vwill cause the hammer 33 to strike the edge of the gong and push the plunger 22 inwardly, bringing theports 24 and 25 into register with the ports 2O and 21, the plunger thereupon being automatically locked in this position` by the latch members 28,29 and 30. Y The gong vwill sound, thereby to warn the engineer and fireman inthe eventthat,for any reason, they may not have seen the caution or stop signal. Connected with the port 21 is a flexible hose or pipe 49, the delivery cnd whereof may be secured in operative relation to the face or other exposed portion of the engineer orireman, a bracket 50 being shown as securing the said pipe or hose to the cylinder in such operative position. Air will be discharged from the cylinder 18 through the pipe 49, thus giving an additional signal to the engineer or fireman. By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the port 23 is of less cross-sectional area than the pipe 17 whereby the air will be released from the system less rapidly through the said port than through the op- Leanser eration of the engineers valve. This will cause the brakes to be applied gradually and gently, so as not to prevent the application of the bralres in the usual manuel' by the ope ation oli the engineers valve. However, in the event of the death or disability of the engineer or fireman or both, the train can be stopped automatically before arriving at the stop signal. The same operation will occur by setting the signal arm to the stop position, this resulting merely in moving the plunger 5 still farther toward the track, but in osition to be engaged by the wheel 10, l? ovvever, when the arm is set to the clear position, the plunger will be moved to its extreme rearward position, and the Wheel e() Will pass over the cover section 9 Without striking the same and hence Without affecting the signal and brake applying mechanism upon the locomotive.

After the Wheel l0 has encountered the trip plunger 5, the counterweight thereon will restore the connections 39, 39a and the spring 32a will restore the other operating parts connected thereto to the positions shown in Fig. 1. lt Will be evident that, at night, the signal lights indicated at e Will serve as visible signals, but' the plunger 5 will be moved in operative relation to the Wheel 4:0 When the circuit of either oi' the lights indicating caution or stop is closed by the operation of the arm on which such lights are mounted.

Before applying the bralres through the operation of the engineers valve, the engineer or fireman Will push downwardly upon the button 31, thereby ivithcrawing the loclring member 28 from the plunger, Whereupon the spring 26 will thrust the plunger outwardly, moving the ports and 25 out of register With their cooperating ports in the casing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a locomotive having a gong thereon, a hammer lever for operating said gong, and a brake-applying device, of means on said locomotive for operating said lever, connections between said lever and said brake-applying device tor applying the brakes through the operation of said lever, a block signal comprising a movable arm adapted to be set to positions indicating clearf caution and stogf and a trip device operatively connected with said arm and adapted to engage the lever operating means by the setting ot said arm at the caution7 position.

2. The combination, with a locomotive having a gong thereon, a hammer lever for operating said gong, and a brake-applying device, means on said locomotive for operating said lever, connections between said lever and said brake-applying device for applying the brakes through the operation of said lever, and a block signal comprising a movable arm adapted to beset to positions indicating clean caution,7 and stop,- and means operatively connected with said arm for engaging the lever operating means by the setting of said arm at the caution7 position.

3. The combination, With a locomotive having a pair of alarm signals thereon including means for directly aifecting the sense of hearing and the sense of feeling of the operator, and a device for Operating one of said signals, of a block signal comprising a movable arm, a trip device operatively connected With said arm and movable thereby into and out of operative relation to the operating device, and connections Whereby the said operating device will actuate both signals.

t. rlhe combination, With a locomotive, of a receptacle having a pipe leading therefrom adapted to be connected with the air brake line, a plunger having a port therein and adapted by its movement in one di-v rection to relieve the pressure Within. said .receptacle and direct the discharge against the operator, means for automatically locking the said plunger in its pressure-relieving position, a block signal, and means operative by the setting of said signal to move said plunger to its pressure-relieving position.

5. A combined brake applying and signaling device comprising a receptacle adapted to be connected to the air brake line, a movable pressure-relieving device connected to said receptacle, said device having a discharge port, a tube connected with said discharge port and adapted to direct the discharge against the operator as a Warning signal, and means carried by the locomotive and adapted to be operated by a trip device for moving the rst mentioned device to pressure-relieving position.

6. The combination, `With a locomotive having an alarm signal and a brake applying device, oli' an arm for operating said signal and said device, a countervveight Wheel carried by said locomotive, and adapted to engage a tripl device, and means for operating Said arm from said Wheel, said means including a flexible device connected with said Wheel, an angle lever to which the flexible device is connected, and means connecting said angle lever to said arm.

7. The combination, with a track signal comprising a movable arm, of a plunger operatively connected with said arm, a casing wherein said plunger is mounted, the Said casing being of greater length than said plunger and having the front or track-facing portion thereoiE lower than the rear portion thereof, a cover plate for the front portion oi said casing secured to said plunger, and anti-friction devices on which said plunger is mounted.

8. The combination, with Va locomotive having thereon an audible alarm, a pressure- Huid alarm adapted to be directed on the operator to affect his sense of feeling, a brake v5; applying means, of a block signal, and means operative through the setting of. said' signal for Vactuating the said alarm and the brake-applying means.

9. The combination, VWith a locomotive, of means thereon for discharging a jet of air 10 directly on the operator, a block signal, means operative by the setting of said signal for actuating said fluid discharging means.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto aiX my signature.

GARRETT J. BARRY. 

